My colleague Isabella Nimmo, who developed a series of seminars (we call them “learnshops”) on the relationship between the concepts of labor and care, is particularly inspired by the works of Sophie Lewis whose recent text “ Abolish the Family” is particularly pertinent in this moment. Our section of feminist writings is also super strong. I truly fell in love with her work and performance style. She read her poems and met in conversation with artist Gala Porras-Kim, whose work we exhibited last year. Uff, that’s a tough question, since I don’t want to prioritize one writer on top of another! I particularly like poet Joan Kane, who wrote “ Dark Traffic,” a book about land and people.
What book from the Amant shelves would you recommend to a first-time visitor? To talk through books, visualizing the preferences of the people you work alongside everyday, as well as the artists and colleagues that join the team sporadically, is a unique way of creating a very special community while building a wide network of knowledge bases.
What has been your biggest surprise building out the titles in the bookstore?Ĭhoosing books collectively is a super interesting way of knowing and understanding your team.
We buy books for research purposes that then get added to the bookstore, and sometimes the books selected for the store inspire the program - it’s an ongoing conversation. Well, the bookstore responds to and reflects our curatorial “study lines” and artistic projects, so the books and curatorial projects intersect and develop in tandem. How does being based inside of an arts institution affect your curating practice? If you want to buy the books online, you can always buy them directly from the publishers.įor us, our bookstore is a curated window, a preface to understand what Amant is about. We don’t want to compete with them, so for us the important thing is that you come to Amant to see our projects, enjoy public programs and of course our bookstore. Could you share a little more about this philosophy?įrom the beginning, the idea of the bookstore was to buy books directly from publishers. “Dear Reader” connects concerns and concepts with hands-on practice and interpersonal conversations, and it often does so through experimental formats of presentation.Ī post shared by Amant website notes that you don’t sell the books online. We have, for instance, a series of programs called “Dear Reader” organized by our Head of Publications Sarah Demeuse, can be described as a focused forum that presents publications (some in process, some existing, some just seeing the light) and unpacks their processes of making. In fact, we work hard to avoid instituting any hierarchy between our spaces. Our bookstore is as important as our gallery spaces, residency or performance space as a venue through which to introduce the work of artists and writers. We are interested in nurturing new meanings and non-hierarchical forms of knowledge rather than in dividing disciplines.Īnd how do you integrate individual artists and special projects? It’s a collective effort guided by the “ study lines” that inspire our wider program, bringing together contexts, collaborations, ideas and issues, residents, and projects. We select the books ourselves in collaboration with the artists in residency and our guest artists. What do you have in mind when curating titles for the bookstore, broadly?īooks and people are at the heart of Amant’s mission, that’s why we are also hosting this year’s Brooklyn Art Book Fair (BKABF)! Most of the artists we work with are poets and writers as well, including our interdisciplinary residents. I guess you could call it a hybrid project between a workspace, a bookstore and a library. The bookstore also includes a neighborhood cafe, run by our beloved local partners Drip Coffee Makers. A beautiful, large window opens out onto the adjoining courtyard, creating a unique architectural statement and filling the space with light - keeping our plants happy - and allowing time to pass at a slower pace. Simply put, the Amant bookstore is a very peaceful setting in which to buy and read books. To set the scene, how would you describe the Amant bookstore as a physical place?
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